Raspberry Pinwheels

LINDA GIUCAThe Hartford Courant

Set aside a fair amount of kitchen time to make these beauties, but the results are worth it. Raspberry Pinwheels taste as good as they look. Both butter and cream cheese fatten the dough, which needs an overnight chill in the refrigerator. (The dough also freezes well, which is a plus for bakers who sneak in their cookie baking among myriad other duties.) Each cookie is hand-cut and folded to produce the pinwheel shape. Make sure you have a sharp knife on hand, and round up the kids to help with the folding.

The pinwheels also were a Courant cookie contest winner in the 1980s. A dollop of raspberry preserves in the center of the pinwheel adds a burst of holiday color, but other jams can be substituted to suit individual tastes.

RASPBERRY PINWHEELS

1 cup butter, softened

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup raspberry preserves

2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

1 cup minced walnuts or almonds

In the mixing bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in sugar. Stir in flour until well blended.Divide dough in half. Wrap in wax paper. Flatten each half to a 6-inch square. Chill overnight. (Dough can be made ahead and frozen. Thaw in refrigerator.)

On a floured surface, roll out one piece of dough at a time to a 12-inch square. Trim edges with a sharp knife or pastry wheel. Cut into 2-1/2-inch squares. Slit corners of each square 1 inch towards center. Drop a bit of raspberry preserves in the center of the square. Fold every other corner to center like a pinwheel. Pinch firmly in center. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheet, leaving 1 inch between cookies.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until tips are golden. Cool on racks.

Mix confectioners' sugar and milk to form a thick glaze. Drop 1 teaspoon in the center of each cookie and sprinkle with nuts. Makes about 50 cookies.